Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh spoke to CBS News about Ukrainian missiles
The American television network CBS News featured 34-year-old Iryna Terekh, who heads the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point. The company started out manufacturing long-range drones and is now also working on missile weapons. Terekh stated that the company is already preparing to test Ukraine’s first ballistic missile.
CBS News reporters described Irina Terekh as a leader who stands out from the typical image of a defense company executive. At the factory, she wears high heels, a black knit dress, and bright accessories. Working alongside her are managers and employees roughly her age, while in the production halls, many middle-aged men are assembling drones and working with tools.
Terekh herself had never worked in the defense industry before. She studied architecture in Irpin and was involved in business. Among other things, she worked with outdoor furniture and architectural concrete. After the full-scale invasion and occupation of Irpin in 2022, her perspective on her own work changed. “I realized just how vulnerable we are to the utterly barbaric behavior of our enemy. And if there are any skills I could use to help wage this war, then I must do so,” Terekh said.
According to her, civilian experience can also be useful in war. “You never know what knowledge and experience can be transformed and turned into something new,” she noted.
How Fire Point Came to Be
Iryna Terekh, together with businessman Denys Shtilerman, decided to use their experience in design and management to create a defense company. Prior to this, they had worked together on projects involving open urban spaces. Shtilerman had experience in defense engineering, so he was the one who helped the team navigate this new field. Yegor Skalyga became Fire Point’s third co-founder. Before entering the defense industry, he worked as a film producer.
Initially, the team planned to manufacture about 20 long-range drones per month. The idea was simple—to create Ukrainian weapons capable of striking targets at long range in response to Russian attacks. Over time, production scaled up dramatically. According to CBS News, Fire Point currently produces between 300 and 400 long-range strike drones per day. The company has also expanded its production and begun working on more sophisticated types of weapons.
Fire Point Claims a Range of 1,600 Kilometers
Cruise missiles have become one of the company’s key areas of focus. Terekh told CBS News that in June, a Fire Point missile completed a mission at a distance of over 1,000 miles—approximately 1,600 kilometers. According to her, this was the longest-range strike ever carried out by a cruise missile in the history of combat operations.
This statement comes directly from the company’s CEO. CBS News cites it in its report as a statement by Terekh. The Fire Point CEO also stated that in 2026, Ukraine carried out twice as many strikes on targets deep inside Russia as Russia did on Ukrainian territory. According to her estimate, approximately 60% of Ukrainian attacks were carried out using Fire Point weapons.
The company is preparing to launch a ballistic missile
Fire Point’s most ambitious project right now is a ballistic missile. Terekh stated that in just a few months, the company plans to launch Ukraine’s first ballistic missile, which was developed and manufactured by Ukrainian specialists. Ballistic and cruise missiles differ in their flight principles. A cruise missile travels most of its route at a relatively low altitude and uses an engine to propel itself. After acceleration, a ballistic missile follows a high, arc-shaped trajectory.
That is why developing such a weapon is a much more complex task. A successful launch will mark an important milestone for the Ukrainian missile program, provided the company’s announced plans are carried out.
Terekh explained the advantage of Ukrainian companies
According to the head of Fire Point, the Ukrainian defense industry has been able to develop rapidly thanks to companies’ ability to adapt to the needs of war. She emphasized the direct connection between manufacturers and the military, as well as the ability to quickly test and modify new solutions. “This works in Ukraine because we have very little bureaucracy; because we have a direct connection with the military; and because we have companies that respond quickly,” said Terekh.
According to her, this approach allows civilian companies to transition to the production of military technologies fairly quickly. This, she said, is exactly how Fire Point itself made the transition from designing urban spaces to manufacturing drones and missiles.
Ukraine Wants to Expand Defense Cooperation with the U.S.
Separately, CBS News reports on plans by Ukraine and the U.S. to expand cooperation in the defense sector. This involves a new defense agreement intended to facilitate the export of Ukrainian military technologies to the United States and the creation of joint ventures with American companies. For Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex, this could be an opportunity to gain access to new markets, technology partners, and investments.
At the same time, Terekh emphasizes that Fire Point’s main goal remains unchanged—to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. “We need to ensure that Ukraine ceases to be merely the world’s breadbasket. We now have much more valuable things to offer, and the defense industry is a powerful driver of this process,” she said.
Fire Point’s story illustrates just how much the Ukrainian defense sector has changed over the years of full-scale war. Companies that previously operated in civilian sectors have begun developing technologies for the front lines. And some of them are now moving from drones to much more complex missile systems.
